TOWARDS 2020: RAA s vision for metropolitan adelaide Sharon Hanlon General Manager Public Affairs Royal Automobile Association (RAA) of South Australia Inc INTRODUCTION The Royal Automobile Association of SA Inc (RAA), the State s principal advocate for motorists on a broad range of motoring-related issues, represents the views of more than 600,000 South Australians. While the vast majority of our membership comprises private motorists, we acknowledge that many of our members use their vehicle for work purposes, as well as commuting to and from work, commuting to a public transport node and they walk and they cycle. Key issues and priorities for our members are their mobility, safety, motoring costs in particular, fuel costs and taxes and, increasingly, the impact of their vehicle on the environment. With such a significant membership base, a key responsibility is to ensure that issues affecting our membership are addressed by governments of the day. Similarly, our members entrust in us the responsibility to ensure that any negative impacts on their mobility are mitigated and, where possible, eliminated. The challenge that the RAA faces on behalf of its members is to ensure that the $2.4 billion dollars of motoring related taxes and charges that motorists in South Australia pay annually, translates into a safe and efficient transport system.. In this presentation, I will focus on transport infrastructure in metropolitan Adelaide from RAA s members perspective where we see the road network is at now, how we feel it should be changed to accommodate existing and future demands of road users, and how we are working towards promoting these objectives and delivering on them for our members. Geographically, Adelaide stretches over some 80 kilometres to the north and south, with major topographical and physical barriers east and west, which limit expansion in these directions. Adelaide s urban population continues to spread north and south, but we see job opportunities increasing in the north and decreasing in the south. A focus on urban infill has seen suburbs closer to the city becoming increasingly more dense, while the expansion of urban growth boundaries has contributed to the need for greater investment in moving people efficiently in, around and across metropolitan Adelaide. Hopefully, the State Government s soon-to-be-released 30-year spatial planning document will address many of these issues, including the growing population in the Adelaide Hills. TOWARDS 2020 In 2005, RAA produced its Backwater to Benchmark document, which articulated a broad strategic plan for South Australia s critical transport corridors and the investment required on them. The document generated significant media and government interest and was widely accepted as the leading independent review into the State s strategic road network. While RAA acknowledges that there has been unprecedented spending on infrastructure since the release our 2005 publication, particularly transport infrastructure such as the Port River Bridges, Port River Expressway, Port Wakefield Road, the Gallipoli underpass, and Page 1 of 6
replacement of the Bakewell Bridge the pace of progress on South Road, despite commitments by the Federal Government, remains a major concern. In 2009, we have revisited this document, conducted an even more robust technical assessment of the current condition on SA s strategic road network, and documented our findings in our latest publication TOWARDS 2020. METROPOLITAN ADELAIDE RAA s own travel time surveys and the Adelaide Urban Corridors Strategy have both highlighted serious issues on the urban road network in terms of the condition of road pavement, the impact on efficiency of the network due to extensive uncontrolled access to major roads, on-road parking, tram and train network interaction, and sustained high levels of passenger vehicle use. TOWARDS 2020 identifies a range of road infrastructure issues, including RAA s long-held concerns for the lack of an efficient north-south corridor, the lack of an effective inner city ring route, and the need for smarter & more efficient use of existing road space across Adelaide. To this end, we believe a serious investigation is warranted into the application of innovative solutions, such as contra-flow lanes, the introduction of high occupancy vehicle lanes, variable speed limits and extended clearways. The recent release by Austroads of its National Performance Indicators confirm the RAA s concerns about congestion across Adelaide. In particular, the indicators highlight that Adelaide's traffic delays have steadily worsened over the past decade. In 2007-08, drivers on their way to work in the morning peak hour were delayed by 51 seconds for every kilometre travelled compared to just 33 seconds per kilometre delay in 1997-98. Austroads Graph 7.3.1 am Peak Congestion Indicator (Urban) While we are not at the congestion levels of Sydney or Melbourne, our rate of increase in congestion is much higher than these two cities. Almost a quarter of all urban heavy vehicle movements in South Australia occur during the combined morning and evening commuting periods, contributing to the phenomenon known as peak spreading, resulting in the gradual lengthening of these time periods. Page 2 of 6
NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR For more than 20 years, the RAA has been compiling information on the performance of Adelaide s existing north-south routes. Our annual travel time surveys paint a picture of a network that is struggling to keep up with the expanding urban, residential and industrial developments north and south of the City. Results from these surveys illustrate how key routes, particularly the south-eastern corridors such as Goodwood, Unley and Fullarton roads, together with Brighton and Marion roads, are no longer able to deliver an acceptable level of service in either the am or pm peak. While it might be argued that significant upgrade works on the South Road/Anzac Highway intersection may have worsened delays in recent times, Figure 1 illustrates the average speed of vehicles along these routes in 2006, prior to major works. This map shows how in 2006 almost all the surveyed routes south of Adelaide had average speeds below the acceptable level of service of greater than 30km/h. Figure 2 shows the 2008 results for inbound travel (excluding South Road) and illustrates the additional delays experienced by commuters on these parallel routes. Figure 1 Figure 2 Page 3 of 6
While it was to be expected that sections of roads close to the roadworks along Anzac Highway were going to be affected by traffic relocating from South Road, the impact on Unley and Fullarton roads was also significant. RAA s travel time surveys clearly show that a piecemeal approach to the upgrade of South Road has an adverse impact on commuters, communities, and businesses on parallel routes. To minimise these disruptions, a shift away from individual intersections upgrades to major corridor improvements is needed. A non-stop 22 km north-south expressway will increase the capacity and efficiency of the corridor to accommodate the expected growth in the urban freight demand and improve connectivity to Adelaide Airport and the Port of Adelaide. I cannot understate the economic, social and environmental benefits to be derived from investing in such a project. RAA believes that delaying this improvement beyond 2014 is simply not acceptable. INNER CITY RING ROUTE Likewise, RAA believes that there is a need to alleviate congestion around and through our city. The lack of an effective inner city ring route remains a significant hurdle to efficient travel with the inner city ring route defined as Greenhill Road, Richmond Road to Railway Terrace, James Congdon Drive, Port Road and then Park, Robe and Dequetteville terraces. RAA acknowledges that there has been significant focus on upgrading the southwestern end of this ring route with the replacement of the Bakewell Bridge and the upgrade of James Congdon Drive (formerly East Terrace). However, the proposed tram extension from North Terrace to the Entertainment Centre signals an imminent threat to the opportunity to further improve the western side of the ring route as valuable road space is allocated to the tram project. RAA believes that, while public transport initiatives are an integral part of improving overall transportation and, hence, the movement of people, such initiatives should be integrated with the existing road network in a holistic manner. Inner City Ring Route (in green) The intersection of Park Terrace, Adam Street and Port Road continues to frustrate commuters with long delays that can no longer be improved through standard signal phasing treatment. The existing railway crossing on Park Terrace adds to these delays, especially at peak times when rail traffic and road traffic are both operating at their highest demand. Similarly, the impact of the redevelopment of adjacent land (formerly the Clipsal site) will generate increased traffic movements in this area and, while the urban design philosophy of a Transit Oriented Page 4 of 6
Development (TOD) will minimise the trips generated from this area, the development of the site will definitely adversely impact on this already under-capacity intersection. RAA believes there is a need for a broader investigation into the long-term capacity issues at this intersection, and that an overpass of the train line at Bowden is warranted to alleviate some of the impacts of the additional movements from the development of this site. As we continue around the ring route from west to east, there is sufficient width in the existing medians and roadsides to provide additional capacity on this section. However, if the existing signal phasing were re-coordinated to give significant priority to traffic on the ring route, rather than traffic heading into the city of Adelaide, then road widening could be avoided in the short to medium-term. Travelling further south-eastward around to Dequetteville Terrace we encounter the most inadequate piece of infrastructure to manage major traffic flows in metropolitan Adelaide Brittania Roundabout. With traffic volumes in excess of 40 000 vehicles per day the impost on drivers to make a judgement on when it is safe to enter the road is a complex decision that many drivers cannot easily manage and, therefore, up to 10 000 vehicles per day choose alternative routes through adjacent local road networks. Over the years, a number of solutions have been considered to address this deficiency, but all of these have directly impacted on the adjacent parklands and, as such, have had limited political support. Any future plans to address this location need to consider solutions that minimise the impact on the adjacent properties including the parklands. A solution to the Britannia intersection needs to include a reduction in the number of roads meeting at this one location, or and under or overpass option that effectively removes the conflict between traffic meeting here. While RAA wants to see a solution to this long-standing impediment to an efficiently functioning ring route, the fact that traffic speeds in and around the intersection are very low, does shield the deficiency of this location through the limiting of serious injuries occurring at this site. A solution that relocates one or more of the major roads entering this location, either north or south, may provide a more palatable solution. Greenhill Road forms the most southerly link of the inner city ring route. Major intersections spaced along this route at regular intervals impact on the overall efficiency of Greenhill Road, with RAA travel time surveys along Unley, Fullarton and Goodwood roads confirming this with reports of increased delays and lower than desirable average speeds. There are two linked factors that may address the performance of Greenhill Road in the long term these being the extension of the national network to the Southern Expressway and the upgrading of South Road between Cross Road, to the airport and Port River Expressway. A significantly upgraded South Road will alleviate the volume of commercial vehicles along Greenhill Road and Richmond Road, thus providing additional capacity. Similarly, if South Road delivers the expected efficiency gains for traffic emanating from the south, it will be likely that commuters may choose to join South Road earlier to benefit from the travel time savings as a result of reduced delays from a reduced number of intersections. It is clear that much of metropolitan Adelaide s existing and future traffic congestion issues can be alleviated through an accelerated construction of a free-flowing north-south corridor. NORTHERN METROPOLITAN ADELAIDE The Northern Expressway is a large road project in fact, it is the longest freeway-standard road to be constructed in Adelaide since the South Eastern Freeway in the mid-1970s. The 23km expressway will connect the Sturt Highway and Gawler Bypass to Port Wakefield Road and the Port of Adelaide. RAA believes that, once completed, it will significantly relieve existing safety and Page 5 of 6
capacity issues along Main North Road. The Expressway will also address the congestion issues at the Main North Road and Grand Junction Road intersection by providing a more direct connection for freight traffic to the Port of Adelaide, Regency Park and the airport, via the Port River Expressway and South Road. RAA also welcomes the investment from both the Federal and State governments into the upgrading of the Grand Junction Road/ South Road intersection and the Wingfield railway crossing near Cormack Road. These projects play an integral role in improving the efficiency of the northern end of the north-south corridor and will directly complement the investment in the Northern Expressway. The Northern Connector currently in planning stage will ultimately provide a connection between the Northern Expressway at Port Wakefield Road, through the Dry Creek salt pans north-west of Adelaide, to the Port River Expressway and the Port of Adelaide. However, while the Northern Connector project was shortlisted as a priority project by Infrastructure Australia, it was not included in this week s Federal Budget. Going forward, from the RAA s perspective, it is important that this project does not supersede the need to address existing traffic congestion and freight inefficiencies south of Grand Junction Road to Sturt Road, Darlington. CONCLUSION The RAA sees the future as being positive for road users. We have seen unprecedented levels of investment in infrastructure delivery from both the State and Federal governments, and also a greater awareness of the need to address road safety and the environment. In the current economic climate, it is important that those charged with providing advice to decisionmakers and politicians think about long-term solutions for the benefit of the transport network for future generations. We need to ensure that we don t have at-grade interfaces with railway crossings designed into modern day projects. Unfortunately, we have a legacy of such decisions at a number of locations across the metropolitan area and they are very costly to address. In relation to encouraging drivers to use other modes of transport, it is important that we ensure that new designs incorporate bus lanes to allow drivers the option of choosing a more efficient mode of travel. Nothing motivates people more than seeing first hand the benefits of being on a moving bus, compared to being stuck in a queue of slow moving cars. Retrofitting these facilities should also continue, where possible, but unfortunately due to our major routes operating at or near capacity at peak times, there is little scope to be able to remove traffic lanes to provide bus services without catastrophic consequences for other road users and adjacent businesses or properties. It must be remembered that private vehicle usage still accounts for 80% of all trips, and that public transport cannot be expected to match the flexibility of the private vehicle. In conclusion, the RAA remains optimistic that South Australia will have a major focus on infrastructure upgrades over the next ten years. We believe that there is an opportunity for industry and stakeholders to play an effective role in providing decision-makers and governments with sound advice on what is needed and priorities for implementation. While there is no silver bullet to combat congestion, continued targeted network improvements, such as a non-stop North-South corridor and an effective inner city ring route, together with smarter, more efficient use of existing road space will ensure that metropolitan Adelaide can meet future transport demands. Above all, the RAA maintains that investment decisions for the road network should not result in a compromise of either safety or efficiency. END Page 6 of 6